Foundation for Doctors' Safety and Rights (FDSR) has proposed a 100-day plan to ensure zero Covid-19 patients in the country while providing health services to all and ensuring proper safety measures for health workers.
They also placed an 11-point demand, including the formation of a powerful but small committee of experts under the direct leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to achieve the goal.
FDSR, an organization led by young doctors of the country, disclosed the proposal on Saturday afternoon.
Replying to a query, Dr Abul Hasnat Milton, chairman of the organization, said they sent the plan two and half months ago to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), but are yet to receive a proper response.
The situation has changed drastically within that time frame. The organization has made changes based on the current situation and disclosed their proposals in an online meeting.
Health authorities dismissive of expert advice
Dr Milton said the biggest mistake the authorities made was not paying heed to public health experts’ recommendations.
Dr Abdun Noor Tushar, media personality and advisor to FDSR, said they had sent their plans to at least five top DGHS officials but none of them replied.
FDSR observed some of their recommendations being implemented but only partially, which could hardly bring forth any positive changes.
“We proposed a plan that was aimed to bring virus transmission down to zero with better treatment services which can be achievable within 100 days,” Dr Tushar said.
“We are in such a situation that we will not get any more chances if we do not go for an extreme approach right now,” he commented.
FDSR’s plan to bring down infection
The organization proposed that imposing strict lockdown, instead of zonal lockdown, would be more effective right now. However, they are not against zonal lockdown and recommended imposing it after a certain period.
The major plans proposed by FDSR are as follows:
• There should be a 28-day strict lockdown across larger areas, not in the three colour zone based small areas.
• After the first 28 days, the following 14 days would be kept for the patients make recovery.
• In the 14 succeeding days, the area would be opened for some economic activities, but only for the residents of the area, and transportation coming in or out would be prohibited.
• After that, the area would be opened but surveillance would be continued. Then if anyone is found to be infected, zone based lockdown would be implemented.
• After 100 days, there would be no cases; even if there were one or two, they would be easier to handle.
• In that time, more and more tests would be conducted to ensure that every Covid-19 patient is found out and given treatment.
If the government uses Korean testing kits, they would also be able to double the number of current tests while spending the same amount they are spending now, said the organization.
Criticizing the director general of health services for saying the virus might stay 2/3 more years in Bangladesh, Dr Tushar said: “If he did his job properly, he would have said the virus would be gone within 100, 200, or 250 days.”
According FDSR’s proposal, some 500 teams need to be formed—one for each upazila.
Including treatment cost, drug, and food supply, it will cost Tk11,500 crore each month and Tk43,380 crore in total. The money allocated for each person of the country would be Tk3742.50.
The organization made several demands, including adopting a better approach by taking advice from public health experts, providing good quality PPEs to healthcare professionals, bringing discipline in hospitals, and providing free facemasks.
